Apparatus for operating on sole and heel units



APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON SOLE AND HEEL UNITS Filed March 26, 1969 W. A. BARKER ET AL April 21, 1970 s Sheet-Sheet 1 [nvenfors Wz ZZz'am A. Barber LesZie A. Wifizers Apr 21, 1970 W. A. BARKER ET AL APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON SOLE AND HEEL UNITS Filed March' 26, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 21, 1970 w. A. BARKER E L 3,506,993

- APPARATUS FOR OPERATING on SOLE AND HEEL UNITS Filed March 26, 1969 s Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent Office 3,506,993 Patented Apr. 21, 1970 3,506,993 APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON SOLE AND HEEL UNITS William A. Barker and Leslie A. Withers, Leicester, England, assignors to USM Corporation, Flemington, N.J., and Boston, Mass., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 26, 1969, Ser. No. 810,657 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 11, 1968, 17,451/ 68 Int. Cl. A43d 25/00 U.S. Cl. 1217 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for performing marginal operations, such as adhesive applying, on sole and heel units having relatively thin sole portions and relatively thick heel portions has work supporting and feeding means comprising a driven upper feed roll, a lower feed roll cooperative therewith in operative disposition for gripping said thin portions, a table for supporting the heel portion of units and means for automatically swinging the lower roll out of the way of the heel portions as they approach the lower roll, the table moving with the lower roll to present a roller thereof beneath the upper roll.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to improvements in machines adapted to perform an operation on marginal portions of work pieces, and more particularly to improvement in work piece feeding means of such machines.

Description of the prior art It is frequently desired to perform an adhesive applying operation on the marginal portions of a sole and heel unit to enable the unit to be attached by use of the adhesive composition to a shoe bottom. Sole and heel units are now frequently used which are molded in one piece from thermoplastic material, often polyvinyl chloride, and may comprise a sole portion which is of uniform and small thickness and a heel portion which, while it may be undercut, is generally of a uniform thickness substantially greater than that of the sole portion. The sole portion is flimsy and easily deformed, and considerable problems have been encountered in feeding such adhesive composition uniformly around marginal portions of the unit.

Feeding means heretofore employed have generally proved unsatisfactory because the means for supporting the sole have interfered with transferring the heel portion past the work station.

Summary of the invention One of the various objects of the present invention is to provide a machine useful in applying a coating to a marginal portion of a sole and heel unit having a thin flexible sole portion and a thicker heel portion.

To this end and in accordance with a feature of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for performing an operation progressively along marginal portions of the sole and heel units comprising means operative at an operating station for performing the operation and means for feeding said units to transfer marginal portions thereof progressively past the operating stations. The feeding means comprise a driven upper feed roll cooperative therewith in operative disposition for gripping said thin portion, and a table providing a surface for supporting the heel portion. The lower feed roll is mounted for swinging out of operative disposition to permit operation on the heel portion. Suitably, the swinging of the lower feed roll is effected by power means in response to the operation of means for sensing the approach of the heel portion to the performing means. Suitably also with such swinging, a roller may be positioned beneath the upper feed roll to facilitate feeding the heel portion. Conveniently the roller is carried by the table and extends through an aperture therein, the table swinging with the lower feed roll.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in apparatus for use in applying adhesive composition in molten form to sole and heel units. The apparatus comprises a head frame to which is fixed a bearing bracket in which is mounted a shaft bearing an upper feed roll at an outer end portion. Pivoted for rocking movement about a horizontal axis is a lever which supports, pivoted for swinging movement about a vertical axis, a roll supporting bracket carrying a bearing supporting a composite shaft comprisinga flexible joint. At its outer end portion this shaft carries a lower feed roll which in operative position is opposite the upper feed roll, at its inner end portion it is connected by gear wheels to the shaft of the upper feed roll, and thence to an electric motor which drives the rolls in conjunction with each other. When the illustrated apparatus is in use an operator utilizes a treadle mechanism to move the lower feed roll upwards so that marginal portions of a sole portion of a sole and heel unit are gripped between the feed rolls and fed past a nozzle of an adhesive composition applying device, while the heel portion of the unit rests on a table which is supported, through a parallel linkage providing for vertical adjustment of the table, on the roll supporting bracket. A guide block positioned adjacent the feed rolls engages an edge surface of the sole portion of the unit and assists in its feeding through the feed rolls.

In the illustrative apparatus in order to feed the heel portion of the sole and heel unit beneath the nozzle of the adhesive applying device and so accommodate a wide range of heel heights and shapes the lower feed roll is arranged automatically to be moved to an out-or-the-way inoperative position when the heel portion of a unit is to be operated upon.

Suitably, the margin extending around the sole portion is operated on first in the illustrative machine. When the heel portion of the sole and heel unit approaches the lower feed roll, it engages and moves a trigger connected with a microswitch. Movement of the trigger by the heel portion operates the microswitch to cause an electrically operated timer valve to direct air under pressure to an air motor which then acts to swing the roll supporting bracket about its vertical pivot on the lever to carry the lower feed roll sideways to the out-of-the-way position. The flexible joint in the composite shaft for driving the lower feed roll allows it to move to the out-of-the-way position.

Movement of the table supporting the heel portion of the sole and heel unit takes place with movement of the bracket carrying the lower feed roll, and movement of the lower feed roll to the out-of-the-way position brings a freely rotatable roller mounted beneath the table and extending through an aperture therein opposite the upper feed roll. The heel portion, supported on the freely rotatable roller, is then fed past the nozzle by the upper feed roll. When adhesive composition has been applied around the whole of the periphery of the unit, the treadle mechanism is released and the table and lower feed roll allowed to drop downwardly, the lower feed roll being returned to its operative position opposite the upper feed roll in due course under the control of the electrically operated timer valve, to return the apparatus to a condition to operate on the next sole and heel unit.

The above and other of the various objects and several features of the present invention will become more clear from the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in section and with some parts broken away, of apparatus embodying the present invention. The toe end of a sole and heel unit is shown gripped between an upper and lower feed roll;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. The view is partly in section and with some parts broken away, the upper feed roll and associated parts being removed for clarity. Shown in chain line is a sole and heel unit in position for the commencement of an adhesive composition applying operation;

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly in section and with some parts broken away, of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. The parts are shown in positions assumed when the heel portion of the sole and heel unit is being operated upon; and

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a modification.

The illustrative apparatus is adapted for use in applying thermoplastic adhesive composition in molten form to sole units. It comprises a column 7 supporting a head casting in which is supported a drive shaft 3 adapted to be driven by an electric motor (not shown). Clutch tooth 9 on a boss 8 fixed to the shaft 3 are adapted to engage clutch teeth 11 of a clutch gear wheel 10 which is freely mounted on the shaft 3, and which can be moved axially of the shaft 3 to bring the teeth 11 into and out of engagement with the teeth 9 by a clutch lever 2. The gear wheel 10 is adapted to mesh with a gear wheel 12 fixed on a shaft 13 mounted in a bearing bracket 15 fixed to the head casting 5. An upper feed roll 17 is fixed to an outer end portion of the shaft 13. Fixed to the shaft 13 adjacent to the gear wheel 12 is a gear wheel 19 which meshes with a gear wheel 21 fixed to an inner portion 23 of a composite shaft 24 comprising the inner portion 23, and an outer portion 31 linked by a pivotal joint 27. A lower feed roll 25 is fixed on the outer portion 31 of the shaft 24 and a feed guide member 26 is arranged to extend first below an upper portion of the surface of the roll 25 past the outer face of the roll 25.

The outer end portion 31 is rotatably mounted in a bracket 33 which .is mounted for swinging movement about a vertical pivot shaft 37 in a lever 35: the inner shaft portion 23 is journaledin this lever 35.

c In the operation of the illustrative machine the lever 35 may be moved upwardly (into the position shown in FIG. 1) about pivot pins 36 secured in lugs 38 of the head casting 5 to enable a sole portion of a shoe sole and heel unit to be operated on by the machine to be gripped between the feed rolls 17 and 25. A treadle rod 40 carries a stop 42 between which lugs 44 on a rearward end portion of the lever 35 is provided a spring 46. When the illustrative machine is in use an operator utilizes a treadle mechanism (not shown) to hold marginal portions of a sole portion of a sole and heel unit gripped between the feed rolls 17, 25, the spring 46 providing yielding means which allows the lever 35, and thus the lower feed roll 25, to yield about the pivot pins 36 to accommodate variations in substance of the sole portion of the sole and heel unit. The position of the pivot pins 36 is such that the gear wheels 19 and 21 remain in mesh to drive the lower feed roll 25 when it is in a lowered position.

When the illustrative machine is in use a heel portion of a sole and heel unit rests on a table 39 mounted in the machine for adjustment to accommodate units of varying heel heights. The table 39 is fixed on a table support 41 pivotally mounted by pins 43, on outer end portions of upper and lower pairs of parallel links 45 having opposite end portions pivotally mounted on the bracket 33 by means of pins 47. The table 39 is positioned heightwise with respect to the lower feed roll 25 by means of a projection 49 which rests on a stop screw 51 threaded into a web 50 secured between the lower pair of parallel links 45. Heightwise adjustment of the stop screw 51 in the web determines the lowermost position of the table 39 relative to the lower feed roll 25.

Having adjusted the table 39 appropriately relative to the lower feed roll 25 to accommodate the heel height of the shoe sole and heel unit to be operated on in the machine, the operator positions the work piece so as to grip the sole portion of the unit between the feed rolls 17 and 25 adjacent the heel breast position at one side of the unit so that when the feed rolls are driven progressively to feed marginal portions of the unit past an adhesive composition applying nozzle 53 of an adhesive applying device of the machine, adhesive composition being first applied to marginal portions of the sole portions of the unit commencing at the heel breast position and progressing around the sole portion until the heel breast is reached at the opposite side of the unit. The adhesive applying device is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis (not shown) and the position of the nozzle 53 relative to the feed rolls may be adjusted by adjustment of a stop screw 54 in a bracket 56 secured to the bracket 15 against which the adhesive applying device rest-s under gravity. Operation of the treadle mechanism effects gripping of the work piece by raising the lower feed roll 25, and thus the table 39 which is carried by the bracket 33 on the lever 35, and initiates the delivery of molten adhesive composition from the nozzle 53. The adhesive applying device is of conventional construction for applying hot melt adhesive compositions.

The feed rolls 17 and 25 are normally constantly rotated for work pieces to be introduced successively to the machine, a sole and heel unit gripped between the feed rolls being fed by them in the direction of the arrows in FIGS. 2 and 3. As the sole and heat unit is fed by means of the feed rolls it is guided in continuously changing curved paths to present successive marginal portions of the top surface of the unit beneath the nozzle 53.

The illustrative machine is provided with a guide block 55 which presents an S shaped curved guide surface 57 to the edge surface of the sole and heel unit being operated on. The machine is constructed and arranged to operate on units having comparatively thin sole portions, often tapering to a very thin substance in the waist and the fixed guide block 55 provides a maximum of edge depth for engagement with the edges of the sole and heel units operated on. A groove cut in the. block provides a clearance for the top feed roll 17. The block 55 suitably is made of plastic filled sintered bronze to resist wear and provide minimum resistance to rubbing of the edge of the work piece against it. The guide block 55 is mounted on an arm 63 pivotally mounted by means of a pin 65 '(FIG. 1) between downwardly extending arms of a carrier 67 pivotally supported on the bearing bracket 15 by two pins 69 (only one of which is shown) extending through the arms or the carrier 67 into an intermediate portion of the bracket 15. An adjusting pin 71 extends rotatably through an upper end portion of the carrier 67 and through slots in two limbs of a bracket 75 fixed to the head casting 5. An eccentric portion 73 of the pin 71 is received in the carrier 67 and rotation of the adjusting pin 71 thus effects movement of the carrier 67 about the axis of the pin 69 thus moving the arm 63. By rotating the adjusting pin 71 the position of the guide block 55 on the arms 63 may be adjusted relatively to the nozzle 53 in directions to vary the distance from the edge of the different work pieces operated on in the machine at which adhesive composition is applied. A locking screw 77 threaded into the fixed bracket 75 may be tightened onto the eccentric portion 73 of the adjusting pin 71 to lock the carrier 67 in adjusted position. The arm 63 rests on an upper surface of the bracket 33 and the guide means 55 follows heightwise movement of the lower feed roll 25 A leaf spring 68 holds the arm 63, when in position shown in FIG. 2, down onto the bracket 33.

In the operation of the illustrative machine adhesive composition is first applied progressively to marginal portions of the sole portion of a sole and a heel unit presented to the machine, commencing at the heel breast position on one side of the unit and progressing around the toe end of the unit to the heel breast position at the opposite side of the unit. On completion of the application of adhesive compositions to marginal portions of the sole portion of the unit the unit continues to be fed past the nozzle 53, guided by means of the guide block 55 for adhesive composition to be applied to marginal portions of the unit extending around the heel portion thereof from the last mentioned heel breast position to the heel breast position at which the adhesive appling operation on the sole and heel unit commenced. In the illustrativemachine, in order to feed the heel portions of sole and heel units beneath the nozzle 53 and accommodate a wide range of heel heights and shapes, the lower feed roll 25 is arranged automatically to be moved to an out-of-the-way inoperative position when the heel portion of a unit is to be operated on.

The lever 35 comprises a sideways extending lug 79. Pivotally mounted on the lug 79 by means of a pin 81 is a motor 83 having a piston rod 85 pivotally connected by means of a pin 87 to the bracket 33. Normally air under pressure in the air motor 83 holds the piston rod 85 in a retracted position and the bracket 33 is positioned to support the shaft portion 31 in alignment with the shaft portion 23 and the lower feed roll 25 disposed directly beneath the upper feed roll 17 for co-operation therewith in a work piece feeding action. When the heel portion of a sole and heel unit is operated on in the machine the direction of air under pressure to the. air motor 83 is reversed to urge the piston rod 85 to an extended position (FIG. 3), thus to swing the bracket 33 about the axis of its pivot shaft 37 in the lever 35 to carry the lower feed roll 25 to an out-of-the-way inoperative position. The extent of movement of the lower. feed roll into its inoperative position is controlled by the length of the stroke of the piston rod 85. Dis lacement of the lower feed roll is allowed by the pivotal joint 27 provided in the composite shaft 24; the shaft portion 31 hinges about the axis of the joint 27 and can swing about said axis, the, axis of the joint 27 being on the axis of the pivot shaft 37, when the lower feed roll is displaced, the lower feed roll 25 continuing to be rotated under power in its out-of-the-way position.

In the operation of the illustrative machine the lower feed roll is automatically swung to its out-of-the-way position when application of adhesive to the sole portion of the unit, from heel breast line to heel breast line, has been completed. A trigger 89 is positioned adjacent the lower feed roll 25, to be contacted by the heel of the unit as the heel approaches the nozzle 53. The trigger 89 is a cranked member with a curved outer end portion extending across the peripheral surface of the roll 25 and an incurved portion secured to a clamp 91 secured to an actuating shaft 92 of a microswitch 93. The microswitch 93 is secured on a slide 94 which is mounted between arms of the bracket 33 for up and down sliding movement, such movement being obtained by adjustment of a screw 95 passing through a boss 96 secured to the bracket 33 and into a threaded hole provided in an inward extension 98 of the slide 94. The microswitch 93 incorporates a spring which normally serves to hold the trigger 89 outwards away from the roll 25, but slight inward movement of the trigger 89 serves to rotate the shaft 92 to operate the microswitch to cause an electrically operated timer valve '(not shown) to open to supply air to the air motor 83. This causes the motor to be operated to swing the bracket 33, together with the lever feed roll 25 and the table 39, clockwise, vie-wing FIGS. 2 and 3 to bring the feed roll 25 into its out-of-the-way position and to position a freely rotatable roll 97, mounted below the table 39 and extending through an aperture therein, into position opposite the upper feed roll 17. The amount of movement of the bracket 33 in its clockwise movement is controlled by adjustment of the piston rod 85 in, the air motor 83. After about 5 seconds the timer valve operates to reverse the supply of air to the air motor 83, ,thus to cause the air motor to swing the bracket 33 back into its original position, which is determined by a set screw 99 adjustably mounted in the lever 35 to contact the bracket 33.

In .the operation of the illustrative machine the table 39 is adjusted to the appropriate height for the heel of the unit to be operated upon by adjustment of the stop screw 51, and the trigger 89 is adjusted conveniently for the thickness of the sole portion of the unit, by adjustment of the screw 95. If a unit has an undercut heel, as shown in FIG. 1, operation of the machine may be more convenient if the heel is supported in a metal cradle 101 as shown. The sole portion of the unit is then inserted between the feed rolls 17 and 25 and the treadle mechanism operated to bring the roll 25 into contact with the sole portion. Operation of the machine is started adjacent a heel breast of the unit, in the position shown in FIG. 2. The sole portion of the unit is then fed progressively past the nozzle 53, which applies adhesive composition to the margin of the unit, the edge of the unit running, as previously described, in contact with the guide block 55. When adhesive composition has been applied around the edge of the sole unit to the heel breast at the other side of the sole unit, the heel, or the cradle 101 if in use, contacts the trigger 89, thus to cause the lower feed roll 25 to move away from its operative position and to bring the roller 97 into position opposite the upper feed roll 17. The heel portion, extending between the roll 17 and roller 97 is fed past the nozzle 53 by operation of the roll 17, and when adhesive composition has been applied around the whole of the periphery of the unit, the treadle mechanism is released and the table 39 and lower roll 25 allowed to drop downwardly, the roll 25 being returned to its operative position opposite the roll 17 in due course, as previously described, to leave the machine in a condition to operate on the next sole and heel unit.

In FIG. 4 is shown a modification which may be utilized in certain circumstances and is particularly useful when operating on thin or flimsy shoes. Therein the arm 63 and parts attached to it is replaced by an arm 104 whlch is pivoted by the pins 65 between the downwardly extending arms of the bracket 67. The arm 104 supports a bracket 106 to which is fixed a guide block 108 of Teflon filled sintered bronze, a low friction material. The block 108 has a cut away portion 109 which provides clearance for the feed roll 17. Also fixed to the arm 104 is a plate 110 on which is supported a freely rotatable roll 112 and a guide member 114. A pin 116 secured in the plate 110 passes through a hole in a bracket 118 secured to the bearing bracket 15, a spring 120 is positioned around the pin 116 and acts between the bracket 118 and the plate 110 to urge the plate 110, and thus the roll 112, guide member 114 and block 108 downwardly into a position determined by a collar 122 on the rod 116.

When the modification is utilized, the edge of a sole portion of a sole unit, instead of being guided by engagement with the guide block 55, is guided by engagement with the guide block 108 and the roll 112, and passes between the plate 110 and the guide member 114. This arrangement provides for a somewhat better control of movement of the sole portion through the illustrative machine.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for performing an operation on marginal portions of a sole and heel unit having a thin sole portion and a thicker heel portion, comprising means at a Work station for performing the operation on said unit, a driven upper feed roll, a driven lower feed roll mounted for movement between an operation position cooperative with said upper roll for gripping said thin portion for moving the margin of said unit progressively past said work station and an inoperative position in which said roll is clear of the heel portion during its passage beneath said upper roll, a table having a surface for supporting the heel portion of the unit during operation by said performing means, and means for moving said lower roll to the inoperative position for operation by the performing means on the heel portion.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the surface of said table lies in a plane spaced beneath said upper roll.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and additionally comprising means operative adjacent the work station during the feeding of the margin of sole portion past said I work station for sensing the approach of heel portions to the lower roll and means controlled by said sensing means 8 and operative in response to the sensing of such approach for moving the lower roll to said inoperative position.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 and wherein a freely rotatable roller is mounted on the table beneath said surface with its periphery extending through an aperture therein and wherein said lower roll and said table are mounted for swinging together in the plane of the table surface, said aperture and roller being disposed beneath said upper roll in the inoperative position of said lower roll.

References Cited 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,760,463 8/1956 McCready 118-232 2,994,893 8/1961 Hitchcock 12-l7 3,119,133 1/1964 Smalley et a1. 12-17 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US Cl. X.R. 118232 

